Vitiligo

Mohs Surgery & Dermatology Center

Vitiligo is a chronic autoimmune condition that causes white patches to develop on your skin. The dermatology experts at Mohs Surgery & Dermatology Center understand that this can be a difficult condition that can affect your overall well-being. For expert, long-term vitiligo treatment, book an appointment online or call one of the three offices in Elgin, Huntley, and Crystal Lake, Illinois.

Vitiligo Q & A

What is Vitiligo?

Vitiligo is a common, progressive autoimmune disorder that often runs in families. The condition is caused by the destruction of pigment cells, called melanin, which are responsible for the color of your skin, hair, and other tissues.

The loss of melanin creates white, irregular patches on your skin, which may progress and grow in size over time. Symptoms of vitiligo typically appear before age 20, but they may present at any age.

Vitiligo may also cause:

Gray or white hair

White patches inside the mouth

Change or loss of color in the retina

While vitiligo can have a negative impact on your self-image, it does not threaten your overall health.

What Parts of the Body Can Be Affected by Vitiligo?

Vitiligo can affect any part of the body, but it usually first appears on areas of the skin that are routinely exposed to sunlight, such as the hands, arms, lips, and face, and around the eyes.

Patterns of color loss generally come in one of three types:

Generalized: loss of color is scattered over the whole body

Segmental: loss occurs one side of the body

Local: loss occurs in one or just a few areas

Rarely does the color return without treatment, and in some cases, the loss of color will stop progressing. Most often, the loss of pigmentation will spread and eventually appear across your whole body.

Unfortunately, your dermatologist can’t predict the rate of progression or anticipate where vitiligo may appear.

How is Vitiligo Treated?

While there is no cure for vitiligo, there are some treatments that have been effective for the return of pigmentation in affected areas. Treatments aim to restore your natural skin tone and reduce the visibility of white patches.

Treatments include:

Corticosteroid creams

Topical medications

Depigmentation agents

Light therapy

You can also help keep your vitiligo from progressing and approve its appearance by protecting your skin from sun exposure, especially affected areas.